Let's jump right into this premise: Our gaming group uses JaronK's Tier system when drawing up characters, including his suggestions for closing the power and versatility gap between Tiers. I'll describe our creation rules shortly, but the relevant bit is that we allow characters to Gestalt. Tier 6 is the designation for the commoner classes, found here, and although many class-role bases are covered, I feel they amount to 'half' classes. I'd like to see more, unique, interesting, creative, useful, funny, whateva' people come up with T6's, meant for Gestalting.
So! Invent a T6. Please feel free to hack up existing classes into their T6 equivalent. For example, what would a T6 Barbarian look like? :D This is meant to be a fun exercise, but PEACH, PEACH, PEACH!
Our Character Creation rules are as follows:
SpoilerClasses are organized by Tier. The designated Tier affects character creation and advancement.
1. Select a Class:
Tier 1: Cleric, Druid, Witch, Wizard
Tier 2: Sorcerer
Tier 3: Bard, Inquisitor, Magus, Ninja, Oracle, Paladin, Ranger, Summoner
Tier 4: Alchemist, Barbarian, Cavalier, Rogue, Samurai
Tier 5: Adept, Fighter, Gunslinger, Monk
Tier 6: Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert, Warrior
2. Stat-points by Tier:
Tier 1: 20 Points
Tier 2: 24 Points
Tier 3: 28 Points
Tier 4: 32 Points
Tier 5: 36 Points
Tier 6: 40 Points
3. Rate of Advancement by Tier:
Tier 1 advances at a Slow Rate, Tiers 2 and 3 advance at a Medium rate, Tiers 4 and 5 advance at a Fast rate. If characters are created at 6th level, this means that they begin with enough experience to have earned level 6 at a Medium rate (23,000 exp). If your rate is 'Slow' this would place you at level 5; if your rate is 'Fast,' this places you at level 7. Use the following chart to determine actual starting level:
http://i56.tinypic.com/25pn785.jpg
4. Gestalt Options by Tier:
Gestalting changes the character's actual Tier Designation, which will reduce the number of Stat-points, and Rate of Advancement. Players are free to Optimize within a class by selecting archetypes or advanced feats, etc. to their heart's content without worrying about a Tier shift. Equally important, players are free to choose inferior class-options without benefit of a shift down the Tier scale.
* Tier 1 may never Gestalt.
* Tier 2 may Gestalt with a Tier 6 to become Tier 1.
* Tier 3 may Gestalt with a T6 to become T2, or with a T5 to become T1.
* Tier 4 may Gestalt with a T6 to become T3, with a T5 to become T2, or with a T4 to become T1.
* Tier 5 may Gestalt with a T6 to become T4, with a T5 to become T3, with a T4 to become T2, or with a T3 to become T1.
Gestalting changes the character's actual Tier Designation, which will reduce the number of Stat-points, and Rate of Advancement.
A Few Guidelines:
1. Few, but thematically appropriate Skills.
2. If the T6 Class can cast spells, it should not earn more than 4 Skill-points per level.
3. Typically T6 should have all Bad saves, generally no more than one Good save. If it has more than one Good save, a sacrifice should be made elsewhere.
4. Special Abilities should probably be limited down thematically appropriate lines.
5. Spell lists probably shouldn't be comprehensive, and shouldn't go above 5th level spells. Typically, the number of available slots should start in deficit (as in 0 per day, allowing only toons with high main-caster stats to cast at these levels).
6. Inventive, useful, interesting, funny, or just plane awesome (as you see it) :)
Caveat: Creations will feel less than T5 and so naturally we'll call them T6, but they may also have more versatility or power than the other T6's, and so they're not exactly T6 :) At this stage, its clear that our instincts are to round them up a Tier, or down. Please do as you wish in this case, as these aren't hard and fast rules, and for funsies they'll be T6-ish.
--PC